Squash players back-in-action this week in Bounty Farms Ltd Handicap Tournament

The Guyana Squash Association expects an exciting five-days of action later this week with the Bounty Farms Ltd Handicap Tournament.

The Bounty Farms Ltd Handicap Tournament is set to take place from February 2nd to 6th at the Georgetown club.

Dejé Dias, Chairman of the Guyana Squash Association’s competitions committee, anticipates exciting play on the court this week, noting that this is the ideal tournament to start out the year’s activities.

“The handicap attracts all skills levels, all ages. The nature of the handicap is I give a number based upon your skill level.”

“A handicap tournament is still a little bit lighter in nature. It more about participation than anything. Because, what it is is that newer players can rub shoulders with highly competitive players and win!”

“So a very highly skill level player may get something like -10, whereas a new player might get something like +10, +11 –and it’s first to 15. So a person at positive 11 only has to win 4 points, while a person at -10 has to win 25 points. So that creates a competitive edge.”

The Guyana Squash association has seen an increase in new players getting into the sport late last year.

Dias says these players will be eager to test their new skills in the competitive arena, and this is the perfect tournament to allow them to do so.

“So that one is really about outreach and exposure to competitive play – that’s the goal of it. We’re always gonna get high level play due to the competitive nature of persons alone.”

Local squash players have not yet officially returned to training, but they have been doing their own personal preparation leading up to the tournament.

“I still know that people have been coming down and training on their own. As is been with covid and everything, people find it in their own time to come down.”

However, Dias is not ignoring the negative impacts covid-19 has had on the sport.

“In terms of social interactions, that has seen a downturn. So that has interrupted it in terms of our regular scheduled training programme. But we all have to adapt. I’m sure everyone has seen it in their workplace, squash is no different.”

This is just the beginning of a highly competitive year for the Squash Association.